Do You Love Harry Potter?

Then you should check out these vacation packages for the summer of 2005

Would you like to ride the train used in the Harry Potter movies for Hogwarts Express? Does the idea of seeing the filming locations in person send a certain thrill through you? Then Beyond Boundaries Travel has the vacation package for you. I haven’t experienced these packages myself, but they do sound fun.

The package includes perks like:

A Hogwarts Great Hall-style welcome banquet

A days’ ride on Engine #5972, which aficionados will recognized as the “Hogwarts Express”

An exploration of Oxford, including some filming locations

Depending on which package you chose, you can also experience:

Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London

A film location treasure hunt

A side trip to Scotland to see a falconry demonstration, Alnwick Castle and Gardens

A trip to Edinburgh to visit the historical vaults and explore the Edinburgh Festival

A special itinerary including the Old Operating Theatre, Chelsea Physic Garden, Pitt Rivers Museum and more, to learn about how science and magic are related

According to the information I received, every guest can experience a ride on a broomstick in the virtual reality game, “Wizard’s Cavern.” Apparently, your image is superimposed into the VR system in real time and the game creates the sensation of flying as the broomstick responds to your body’s movement.

Beyond Boundaries promises to arrange vacationers into groups of like-minded individuals of adult fans or family travelers. They have taken care to create itineraries designed especially with adults or families in mind. For more information, visit www.hpfantrips.com or call them at 800-487-1136. If you reserve your vacation by December 31, 2004, you will receive a $50 discount for a full package, or $25 for a weekend package. Spaces are limited. Once a package has enough people, it will be closed.